Adelia had remained just behind Eliot during the interaction with the little girl, her armor-clad hands clasped lightly in front of her as she watched the exchange. It was.. sweet. Unexpectedly so. The kind of thing that tugged on something deep in her chest, something tender and aching. She didn’t know if it was the innocence of the child or the softness in Eliot’s expression as he tucked the flower into his braid, but for a brief moment, the world quieted. She could almost forget it was a dream.

Then came the buffoon.

Lord Jeffery Darwin—if that was his real name—announced himself like a warhorn to the temple, all booming voice and inflated ego, practically dripping entitlement. Adelia’s posture stiffened the moment she caught sight of him approaching, her eyes narrowing subtly as she stepped instinctively closer to Eliot’s side. The man was huge, broad as a doorway and just as dense by the look of him. The kind of noble that thought his wealth made him charming, and his lineage a free pass to touch what didn’t belong to him.
She let him speak. Because she had to. Because Eliot hadn't dismissed him yet.

But gods, it took effort not to curl her lip at the performance. The audacity of this man. That arrogant tilt of the chin. That puffed-up chest. The way he loomed as if that would make him more desirable. When Eliot looked over at her, she caught the silent plea in his eyes and that was it. That was all she needed.

She stepped forward with calm precision, positioning herself just slightly between the two men. Not overt or hostile. Just... there. 

Her voice was low, polite, but honed like the edge of a blade. “My lord Darwin,” she said with a courteous incline of her head, “I thank you for your gracious words to Her Majesty. However, the princess is spoken for. The royal line is to be kept [i]pure[/i], just as she is. I'm sure you understand why the King and Queen haven't reached out to your house.” Adelia’s smile was the kind they carved into statues: polite, cold, and unmoving. It took all of her patience to not thrust her sheathed sword through him. [i]This is just a dream..Why are you getting so heated about this?[/i]